Horse Property Design

21/04/2023

Our new e-book Purchasing a Horse Property is now live and available for free download!

Get tips on what to look for, what to avoid, templates to use and more.

Available now at www.horsepropertydesign.com/downloads

15/08/2022

Sand rolls, have you heard of them?

Where ground is muddy or hard you can create a sand roll for your horses in their paddock. Having their own sand roll helps them to roll in appropriate places away from fences, sticks, rocks, hard ground or other things that could cause them injury. It also means that you'll be brushing sand off them, which is much easier to do than mud!

To create a sand roll, identify a safe, dry and relatively flat area away from fences, gateways and feeding areas. Remove all rocks and sticks before putting down a load of sand between 1-2 cubic meters. You can either spread it out to around 10cm thick, or leave it up to your horse to take care of - most horses enjoy making their own sand roll.

Make sure to use sand without a salt content to ensure that you don't kill off surrounding grass.

28/07/2022

Have you ever wanted to DIY some of your horse property development? The great news is that you absolutely can, even if you have no previous experience.

Many of the skills that go into developing your horse property can be learned, like how to put in a fence, create a laneway or even build an arena. And better yet, many of them can be done with one simple tool: a tractor.

The learning curve on a tractor is very manageable and as far as farm tools go this one is hard to beat. Harrow, seed, spray, mow, fence, grade, excavate, and more.

We're curious. Would you buy a tractor to create your own horse property?

09/05/2022

Foals are just the most precious things, and they need extra special fences to keep them safe.

Foal safe fences often have a mesh bottom half to keep them from accidentally rolling under the fence. Combined with a post and rail or flexible PVC fence, this can keep foals safe and where they need to be.

Other things to keep in mind if you're one of the lucky ones home to a foal:
- Boxes should be larger than standard, typically 5x6 or larger
- Night watch towers are common if you've got mares outside on foal watch

05/10/2021

There are many schools of thought on pasture management, but here are the top three methods we see most commonly.

Set Stocking - the horse has one paddock. This gives the paddock minimal or no time to recover, and results in stressed or horse sick pastures.

Rotational Grazing - Horses rotate through paddocks, which are left to recover for a period of time after being grazed. When combined with mowing or cows, this can create lovely pastures that horses enjoy coming back to

Alternatives - There are other schools of thought that employ tracks or centralised areas that can be very successful in managing horses or properties with specific needs. For example laminitic horses, or small properties.

Which are you using?

22/09/2021

If you have a 20x40 or 20x60 arena then there is a very good chance that you do a LOT of circles.

Carousel horses must be the only ones that don't ever get tired of going in circles, because real horses certainly do.

While working outside the arena when possible can help, there is an opportunity to be had when building an arena. Does it need to be standard sized? Could it be irregularly shaped like a D, or just irregularly shaped? Could it have a tree in it perhaps? How about one side that opens into a grass arena so you have variety?

Considering these questions can help you and your horse to find more variety in your work, and be less inclined to go through the paces.

21/09/2021

Tiny tot ponies have a place on many farms as babysitters for both children and horses alike. But before you bring your own home, check your fencing!

The average height of a fence for a tall horse is plenty high enough for a small one to waltz under. Best to consider this before you bring them home and find them in your garden bed.

15/09/2021

Most equestrians dream of living on a property with their horses, but perhaps not the time commitments that go with having a horse at home.

Different property set ups can drastically affect how much time you need to dedicate to your horses care.

For example:
- Larger paddocks with ample grass mean less feeding out
- More shelter options mean less rug changes
- Centralised holding yards mean less time carting feed and rugs
- Closer paddocks for stabled horses means less time taken to lead to paddocks

What other property design features can reduce your chore time?

14/09/2021

11/09/2021

Does your property have access to trails? If so, how much would you love to have an automatic gate to access them rather than mounting and dismounting?

Installing small entrance gates with automatic openers can be a game changer for hacking, or when used on laneways can speed up morning feeding and the like.

What kind of small upgrades can you think of that will make your life that much easier?

10/09/2021

Tree in Focus: Paulownia

Also known as the Empress Tree, the Paulownia:
- Grow up to 6 METERS(!!) in a year
- Matures to up to 30 meters in 15 years
- Throws exceptional shade in summer with large leaves
- Leaves can be used as forage if needed (safe for horses to eat)
- Blooms with stunning purple flowers
- Likes to keep its feet dry in winter (not suited to boggy areas)

09/09/2021

Where will you keep your float or truck?

Plenty of people carefully design their stables, arena and round yard but neglect to think about the other storage requirements for large items like trucks, floats, tools, hay and shavings.

Give it some thought before you start and you might find that you can keep it all under one roof in the barn, or plan a thoughtful courtyard or outhouse style for your yard.